Dr John C. Grech is a Maltese National. He graduated from the University of Malta in 1971 and 1974. In 1978 he also obtained a Ph.D. in International Economics from The Graduate Institute for international and Development Studies of the University of Geneva.

He served as Chairman of the Bank of Valletta Group, Middle Sea Valletta Life Assurance Limited, the Malta Tourism Authority, Mizzi Organisation and as President of the Mediterranean Bank Network. He is currently Chairman of the MelitaUnipol Insurance Agency Limited, Chairman of Central Cement Limited and Chairman of the Board of Class Optical Ltd. He also served as visiting professor at the University of Malta.

Hussain Lalani is the Chief Executive Officer of United Gulf Bank B.S.C (c) - Bahrain His career extends over 25 years. He has worked extensively with the Board of Directors on advisory transactions in his previous capacity as UGB’s Chief Financial Officer and partnered with business divisions to support growth and business plans.

Mr. Lalani was previously employed by Ernst & Young, Bahrain; and Price Waterhouse Coopers, Pakistan. He is a Board Member of United Gulf Financial Services – North Africa, Tunisia; Assoufid B.V. – Netherlands; and London Forfaiting Company – UK. A Chartered Accountant and a Certified Information Systems Auditor, Mr. Lalani holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Karachi, Pakistan.

Mr Abbouchi joined KIPCO’s investment team in 2023 to monitor the performance of the holding’s finance and real estate sectors. He has a career spanning 20 years during which he gained significant exposure to the financial sector in Kuwait and the MENA region, with particular emphasis on investment banking. Prior to joining KIPCO, Mr Abbouchi held several positions in Gulf Bank, including Deputy GM - Investment Banking and Head of Strategic Investments. He started his career with Ernst & Young and worked at Global Investment House. Mr Abbouchi holds a BA in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut, an MBA from London Business School and is a CFA Charter holder.

Managing Director & CEO, London Forfaiting Company Ltd

Mr. Simon Lay is a recognised expert in trade finance, forfaiting, and risk management. He joined London Forfaiting Company Ltd (LFC) in 1991 and became Managing Director & CEO in 2003, leading its global expansion and strategic growth. In August 2024, he was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of FIMBank plc, LFC's parent company, overseeing the Group's strategy, financial performance, and global operations. Under his leadership, LFC continues to play a key role in the FIMBank Group's trade finance and forfaiting activities. With a distinguished career spanning decades, Mr. Lay remains at the forefront of innovation and operational excellenec in the industry.

Ms. Bakalli has over 20 years of experience in regulated financial markets including fintech, cleantech, asset management, insurance and investment banking. Ms. Bakalli was the chief financial officer of the eCommerce divison of WorldPay Inc., and the European chief financial officer of Pepper Europe.

She also held roles at Schroders, Credit Suisse First Boston and Barclays Capital before she joined Willis and Vanguard Europe as a financial director. Ms. Bakalli has resided in the digital economy hotspot of Malta since 2016 where she founded Cleantech360, a company which offers ESG strategy and business consulting to the cleantech industry. As part of her involvement in this sector, she has worked within numerous renewables and sustainability projects, including those which leverage blockchain technology.

Ms. Bakalli sits on several boards and is an ongoing contributor to the ACCA (Global Accounting Body) and is a member of the Global Forum for Sustainability. She was admitted Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant in 2005. Ms. Bakalli presently hold directorships in Cleantech360 Limited and in Galbraith's Overseas Holdings Limited.